13G ACIDIFIABLE COMBUSTIBLES. 



were determined in the first chapter of this work. 

 I shall now lay the result of these experiments 

 before the reader. 



i t It is well known, that, when calcareous spar 



tion of car- 

 bonate of or carbonate of Jime is exposed to a white heat, 



it loses its carbonic acid, and is converted into 

 quicklime. I exposed given quantities of very 

 pure crystallized calcareous spar, inclosed in a 

 platinum crucible, covered with a lid, to the 

 greatest heat of a wind furnace, in order to de- 

 termine the weight of carbonic acid which would 

 be driven off. The loss of weight in different 

 trials was not rigidly the same. However, by a 

 number of experiments, varied by uniting the 

 lime to sulphuric acid, and determining the 

 weight of sulphate of lime remaining after igni- 

 tion, I satisfied myself, that, when none of the 

 lime is lost, and when the carbonate is anhy- 

 drous, 100 grains of it, when deprived of its car- 

 bonic acid, lose exactly 44 grains. The remain- 

 ing 56 grains are lime. Carbonate of lime, then, 

 is a compound of 



Carbonic acid . 44 or 1 1 

 Lime 56 14 



100 25 



It will appear afterwards, that the atomic 

 weight of lime is 3\5. Now, 14 : 11 : : 3%5 : 

 so that (if carbonate of lime be a com- 



